Description: Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda's sequel to his
immensely well-received Man of Marble covers some of the
same ground: the relationship of labor leaders to their
communist political masters and the difficulties the media
encounters in covering that story. But it adds an
exceptionally timely element: footage from the real-life
Solidarity movement strikes led by Lech Walesa that were
taking place during the film's production are woven into the
dramatic story. There are a few glimpses of Walesa, and he
even pops up as a guest at the wedding of the fictional
story's hero. That man, Tomczyk, is the son of Birkut, the
labor leader profiled in Man of Marble, and he's played by
the actor Jerzy Radziwilowicz, who played Birkut in the
first film. In Man of Marble, a student filmmaker in late
1970s Poland tried to uncover the story of Birkut, a
working-class hero of the '50s who was later politically
discredited and killed in a 1970 strike demonstration. Here,
Winkiel (Marian Opania), an alcoholic radio journalist, is
assigned by the state to cover the rise to prominence of
Tomczyk, but with an eye to discrediting him and the
Solidarity movement as well. Like The Godfather II,
Man of
Iron successfully expands on the story of its predecessor
while provocatively exploring many of the same issues.

The Film:

Wajda's remarkable sequel to Man of Marble welds newsreel footage
of the Solidarity strike to fiction in a strong investigative drama. A
disillusioned, vodka-sodden radio producer is bundled off to Gdansk in a
black limousine. His mission: to smear one of the main activists - who
also happens to be the son of the hapless 'Marble' worker-hero. But,
tempered by bitter experience of the failed reforms of '68 and '70,
these new men of iron are more durable than their fathers, not as easily
smashed. Media cynicism, censorship and corruption are again dominant
themes, this time anchored through the TV coverage of the strike, though
the conclusion hints with guarded optimism at a possible rapprochement
between workers and intelligentsia. An urgent, nervy narrative conveys
all the exhilaration and bewilderment of finding oneself on the very
crestline of crucial historical change; and for the viewer, all the
retrospective melancholy of knowing that euphoria shattered by
subsequent events.

Andrzej Wajda was a key figure in the period, through his status as one
of the most respected Polish filmmakers of the post-war era and as a
prominent supporter of Solidarity. Man Of Iron, made while the movement
was at its height (and featuring a cameo by its leader, Lech Walesa)
vividly conveys the immediacy and the passion of those dramatic times.

It won the Palme D’Or at Cannes in 1981 – but it caused Wajda to become
persona non grata with the regime. His production company was forced out
of business and martial law was introduced later that year to crack down
on the protesters.

So Man Of Iron is a crucial historical document, but it’s also a great
film. Angry, poetic, humane and moving; a political drama and a love
story; a study of both idealism and compromise with a raft of stunning
images and striking performances.

Image : NOTE:The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.

Man of Iron
in 1080P
appears similar to DSSM's
Man of Marble
Blu-ray. The
image quality shows a shade less grain - but is peppered
with heavier textured black and white scenes and the color
sequences are impressive, tight and true. The 2 1/2 hour
film is housed on a dual-layered disc with a supportive
bitrate. The transfer is in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.
It looks minutely more flatter than the other Polish
Blu-rays
we have recently reviewed, but I don't doubt that it is an
authentic appearance. It is free of manipulation, detail is
strong, there is no noise and it shows sporadic depth. Once
again, I was very pleased with the video quality - an
obvious upgrade over an SD rendering of the film.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Audio :

Blu-ray. The disc,
again, initially offers 'Descriptive Audio' and the feature film
track is presented in a DTS-HD Master 5.1 in original Polish. There are
few, if any, demonstrative separations and the sound is a lot of
dialogue - with sparing effects. The score is by Andrzej Korzynski (who
also did
Man of Marble)
and with the film using the similar 'interview style' is not a prevalent
part of the intent. There are
optional English (and Polish)
subtitles and my Oppo
has identified
it as being a region FREE disc playable on
Blu-ray
machines worldwide.

Extras :

The cover, booklet and extras
are in all Polish only (unknown) but only trailers and there doesn't
appear to be anything of a substantial nature (nothing is longer than
2.5 minutes.)

BOTTOM LINE: Man of Iron is more eye-opening cinema from Wajda -
revealing layers of a story steeped in less-visible
perceptions. Utilizing duplicated key writers, composer and
performers with the same dialectic approach, so well
received, in
Man of Marble - the viewer is treated to a 'part
deux'. This can be very dense to those unfamiliar - and
the flashbacks can add to the confusion. I'd say this is
only marginally less-impacting than
Man of Marble. This is till a magnificent film and wonderful
Blu-ray

About the Reviewer:
Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film
since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was
around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my
horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out
new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500
DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my
discussion Listserv for furthering my film
education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver.
Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our
Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction.